All shook up on Shocking's big day
Geoff McClure and Samantha Lane (The Age)
SHOCKING may have won the Cup but the four-year-old and his connections weren't the only ones who left Flemington yesterday with a cup that runneth over. No siree. Drumroll please, for Sporting Life's Melbourne Cup gongs of 2009.
THE "let's party" award is understandably the hardest one to win on Melbourne Cup day. After all, who goes to the Cup without partying in mind? These two blokes are not only world-class party animals but this was their first trip to our biggest sporting day. What's more, one of them was celebrating his birthday. Take a bow, Brian Lara and his "birthday boy" mate, Dwight Yorke, who sailed into Flemington, both dressed to the nines — with Yorke turning 38 — and immediately announced they couldn't wait to take in the atmosphere "and meet a few of your girls". Lara, the former West Indian cricket great, has always had a strong attachment to Australia and is here this time in his role promoting the Island to Island Lemon, Lime and Bitters company while Yorke, the former striker for Manchester United (and four other English Premier League teams) and more recently, for Sydney FC, is here . . . well, we think only to have a good time. Said Lara: "I have heard so much about the Melbourne Cup and I can see now why it is such a big occasion. I can't believe the atmosphere." Actually, we have a confession to make — initially, we didn't even recognise Yorke behind his big shades until Lara asked: "Can I get my best mate in the photograph." Said Yorke: "It's good to be in Brian's shadow. Won't be that way by the end of the day, though."